It's rare that Wylan ventures into the Crow Club. It's too loud, too packed, too everything. There's dozens of overlapping voices: good-natured conversations about winnings, bad natured conversations about who'd lost. A fight could break out at any moment - although Wylan knew that security was too tight, and there was a reputation to uphold. Anyone who looked even close to throwing a punch would be out on the street in three seconds flat, and none of the other patrons would be any the wiser.
It was a safe a spot as any in the Barrel, made safer by the fact that Wylan was, apparently, under Dregs' protection. He could stand the noise and bustle for the sake of not being alone, of knowing that his father wouldn't dare come for him in here.
So Wylan had found a secluded table in the far corner, and set about his equations for Kaz's latest problem.
What he hadn't counted on that someone working quietly in the corner would stand out, simply by virtue of being so thoroughly out of place. The small group of men were amicable enough, belligerent and disappointed by their losses, but harmless enough that security didn't see the need to eject them. They were an unwelcome distraction, though, and Wylan wanted to be left in peace.
He felt Fred's presence before he spoke, and the tense set of his shoulders relaxed just slightly. Wylan didn't know Fred, not beyond a few brief conversations in passing, but he was an intimidating figure and the men sat around the table shifted uneasily as they exchanged glances.
Wylan sat back, privately enjoying their discomfort, and tipped his head back to look up at Fred.
"If you'd like," he agreed easily, as though it didn't matter to him one way or another. It was important not to look weak, like he couldn't handle things himself, but he would very much like it if the men were gone.